Street and station indicator



F. R. cHowEN.

Asxmir AND smlon molcnon.

APPLICATION FILED MAY l0, 1919.

1,331,980. Patented Fem/1,1920.

w e PLM D /5 5f 77 To all whom it 'may concern:

u Cnownmla subject of the` King of Great Britain, offthe 4city of FortblVilliam, Thunl der Bay district, Province of Ontario, Canada, haveinvented certainfnew and useful` Improvements inV Street 4and Station Indi- L minimiert nrcnlinn cirovvm'v,or-ronr winnrnir, ONTARIO, eANAnn-z i' s'rnnnrnivi: vsilui'rroir.nvi'ncliron e a Be it known that VI,iFliiimiaioldi.VR'ICH'AA'RD caters, of whichthe -following is a specification. s '10 My invention relates lto `improvements in street and station indicators, and the object ofV my invention is to provide a device of thiselass, very `simple infconstruction, and

consequently `onethat will noteasily get out of order.v Another object lof my invention to provide particular means forregulating the tautness of `the `belt which carries the nalliesjpotthe streets o r stations, and in the following specification I shall describe the invention, and what I claim as new will be pointed out in the claim.

Figure 1 is a sideelevation of my contrivance with one of the end members of the box removed, showing the interior mechanism in end elevation. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my contrivanee with the front member of the box removed, showing the interior Vmechanism in side elevation, and F ig. 3 is a frontelevation ofportion of the contrivance with the door closed.

In the drawings, like characters of reference referto the same parts.

The contrivance comprises a suitable box A, in which is positioned two verticallydisposed Walls B and C. These walls are spaced apart from ythe side walls D of the box. and in the said walls Band C are journaled the arbors or spindles of certain ot the various rollers, hereinafter referred to. S0 mounting the arbors or spindles prevents the mechanism from being tampered with from the outside, and this is a very important feature. v

This invention has reference to that class of streetand station indicator in which an endless belt or apron is mounted, and on which is printed or otherwise imposed the names of the streets or stations. In the invention in question, the belt 2 passes over the roller 3 and underneath therollers'4 and then up over the rollers 5 and around the rollers 6. The roller 3 is mountedl on the arbor or spindle 7 which is mounted in the walls B and C, and the rollers 4 and 5 are mounted on arbors or spindles 8, which spindles or arbors are mounted in the walls lnal movement.

' -Speelman@ofLettersnent. Patente-1 Feb't, 1920i Application nieu/ray 10, 1919.'` seal NQ. 296,257. l' i y 13 and no. I associaad. with they rner 3 in d such wiseV as to turn this roller whenprop- 'A erly` actuated, is a ratchet-wheel 9, which 1s shown as secured by l pins 1Q to one end of theyroller 3. ,Mounted adjacent the `said ratchet-wheel and 'on the ,arbor 7y is a lever y 11, the free end ofwhichY is controlled by a flexible couplinggl2l-which passesy out rthrough an aperture V13 in thetop of the box A and to any convenient point -for actuation bythe motorman orconductor. a 1s a collar on the arbor or spindle 7 to keep the lever 11 from longitudmal dinsplaeernent on .said arbor. 14V is arivet pivoting the paWll5 to the lever 11. 1,6 is a spring snitably'coupled to the Vlever 11 and n l maintaining the pawl 15 in coperative relationship with the ratchet-wheel 9- 'Bv pulling upward on the leverY 11, -through the means already described, the roller 3 is turned and consequently the name of la street or station exposed through the opening 17 in the box A, will be changed as de-l terial composingthe belt 2 is bound to stretch and shrink, and in order to regulate the tautness oi this belt, I mount the arbor or spindle 20 of the roller 6 in adjustable bearings 4in the form of blocks 21 through each of which extends a guide-rod '22, and a threaded rod 23. A block 21 is positioned adjacent each of the walls B and C. 24 and 25 are blockssecured by any suitable means such as screws 26 to the walls B and C. By .means of the pins 27, the ends of the guide-rods 22 are keyed in the blocks Y f 24: and 25. 28 and 29 are collars mounted on the rods 23, and keved thereto by any suitable means such Vas pins 30. and one above and the other belowv the blocks 25, so that .the rods 23l willV be held against longitudi- The upper end 31 of each rod 23 is preferably reduced, and is without threads and is mounted in the blocks 24' so as to give these rods proper support.

32 isa knurled `finger-piece or head, Vsuitf ably coupled to thelower end of each ofV the rods 23. 33 is av lock-nut threadedon each of the rods 23, and-normally rests against the undersideofeach of the blocks Y21. By turning the-heads 32 of each of the rods 23',v4 after shifting the lock-nuts 33 as may be required, the blocks 21 are moved either up kor ldown and consequently the roller 6-Wi1l be shifted to regulate the taut-V Y ness of the belt 2. Y`'After such regulation, f

the v`lock-nuts 33 are screwed up against underside of the blocks 21.

The walls B and C- are preferably eut v 'away as shown at b, so as lt0 provide ease Y of access to the ends 32 of the' rods 23.

' The side Walls DV of the Vbox A may be hinged thereto as shown at c and provided with suitable fastening means d. Although I show manually-operated means for moving the yroller 3, in order to shiftthe belt 2, it will be understood thatany 'suitablelneans may be used for this purpose. f

From the foregoingspecification, it will be understood that my contrivance is very 'simple 'inV construction and quite inexpensive, and lwill perform all the necessary functions of the more expensive and complicated contrivances that have been designed for this purpose i ,Y Y

Various changes 1n d tails of construction aoVV may be made Withouty .departing from 'the vspirit ofV the invention.

Y, Claim In a4 'tensioning device, in combination suitable supports spaced apart; arpairl of yspaced blocks'ixedlyfcarried byfeach of Y the said v'supports and projecting therebej yond'; a guidexrod Vcarriedby each'pair of said' fixed blocks; a threaded rod'journaled -Y apart from said guiderods; "a-block intermediate eachv pair of saidfixed' blocks and through'the" oppositefe'nds oflfwhich said guide rods and said threaded rods pass,

said threaded rods having threadedV engagea ment each With Vits respective intermediate block; a, rollerY journaled at each end in said intermediate blocks and adapted to :exert pressure against an endless belt passed 

